Get UpGet Out

The Plateau’s myriad outdoor recreational opportunities are leading visitors to explore the area in unprecedented numbers.

With the arrival of Europeans to the Southern Appalachians in the 18th century, there was a certain subset of pioneers who would be classified today as “adventurers.”

They were lured by the tales of abundant game roaming the slopes and bold streams teeming with fish. Even as sober a naturalist as André Michaux can’t contain his exhilaration when recording his passage through the mountains.

Of course, for the Cherokee who were already here, that excitement over the adventure possibilities to be found on the Plateau would be categorized as “making a living.”

But even today, that siren call of the Plateau’s natural heritage is strong. People from all over the world are drawn to its wilderness, and every hotel, inn and bed & breakfast has a knowledgeable person on hand to guide guests in the right direction.

Our outfitters are recognized as some of the most well-stocked and knowledgeable in the Southeast, and this magazine’s Recreation and Creation section is one of our most avidly read.

Recognizing this powerful pull, a group of recreational businesses are promoting their businesses jointly as an important element to tourism.

According to Highlands Aerial Park’s George Powell, who is spearheading the initiative, recreation is both free-based and fee-based and both are important contributors to attracting visitors.

“The ‘Free’ includes Hiking Trails, Waterfalls and Long-Range Viewing, Fishing, and Boating. The ‘Fee’ are the commercial activities that provide employment, revenue, charitable donations, and generate active visitors to the towns that surround them.

Powell says keeping the local shop own- ers, lodging and restaurant operators, as well as residents aware of the recreational opportunities is the challenge. To combat that, an advertising campaign has started in Highlands Newspape r and Laurel Magazine in a collaborative ad.

“In addition to the specific individual marketing efforts, we are proposing a collaborative campaign with a working title of ‘Get Up-Get Out’ that originates from Highlands’ early motto when the town was a health resort,” he said.

Powell also envisions an oversized decal that can be displayed on doors, registers, and other prominent locations in the towns that the businesses serve to remind everyone to “Get Up-Get Out!” It’s a slogan that’s been echoed across the Plateau for the last 250 years.

by Luke Osteen